ITA Midwest Regional Championships mark new era for Illinois

Sophomore Tess Bucher serves to start the match against against No. 15 UCLA at Atkins Tennis Center on April 12, 2026.

Illinois hosted the 2026 ITA Midwest Regional Championships from Oct. 8-12 at Atkins Tennis Center. Ten Illini geared up and got ready to serve as they competed through a combination of singles and doubles during the weekend.

This tournament was different for the team not only because it was the first played at home this season, but it was also the first time new head coach Elizabeth Lumpkin Robinson and associate head coach Calvin Song led the Illini on their home courts.

“This was the first time that both coaches and all of the players were here in one place, so I think that was just a great opportunity for us to bond together and strengthen that coach-player relationship,” Robinson said.

That team dynamic could be seen throughout the entirety of the tournament, and as the weather outside heated up, so did the duos that played on Friday.

Leaving it all on the court

The Illini were no strangers to adversity this weekend, but there is a saying that diamonds form under pressure. Junior Ariel Madatali dominated her singles match on Day 2 against Frida Weijerman, a junior from WMU. With a score of 6-0 on her first set and 6-3 on her second, Madatali showed that she was there to win.

However, things looked a little different for the Illinois athlete on Day 3. Despite some health setbacks, she displayed perseverance and played an explosive singles match, where she defeated Erica Jessel, a junior from Northwestern.

“She gets better and better the more matches that she plays,” Robinson said. “It’s the farthest she’s gotten in regionals before, and obviously every time you get the chance to qualify for NCAA’s is a great opportunity, so I’m really proud of her efforts and how competitive she is and really her just finding a way to get it done.”

Madatali’s plays set her up for a successful remainder of the tournament, as she went on to play in the singles main draw semifinals. Despite falling short to her opponents, she made it to the end of the tournament for the first time in her career. Ultimately, this weekend proved that Madatali has continued to improve in the right direction, pushing her into a level of play she has never achieved before.

Freshman Shravani Chennamsetty also had an impressive weekend. Chennamsetty won both matches needed to secure a spot in the singles main draw. Her improvement reflected in her tournament wins, showing promise in the Illini’s younger athletes and the future of the program.

“I think it was a really good breakthrough for her just to be able to get through qualifying, have a great upset over a seed and just continue to play super well through the week,” Robinson said. “We’re challenging them to develop a skillset that can be great for long term.”

Premiering double trouble

Over the course of the tournament, Illinois picked up meaningful wins in women’s open doubles. There were a couple of new pairs that turned out to be successful duos and stuck out because of their chemistry on the court.

The dynamic duo of senior Alice Xu and junior Cara Mester was a relatively new pair that made their mark on the tournament. They made the deepest doubles run of any Illinois doubles, reaching the quarterfinals before falling to the tournament’s No. 2 seed.

“(Xu and Mester) have great chemistry and just communication with each other,” Robinson said. “It was good to see them and to work with them preparing for this tournament.”

Another new doubles team that made its debut on Friday was junior Tess Bucher and freshman Lyla Messler. While the two couldn’t seem to find their groove in their first moments on the court, Robinson helped them settle in through affirming words and advice throughout the match.

“Take your time, it’s our game,” Robinson said to Bucher and Messler as they entered the final set in their match against Youngstown State’s senior duo Lorena Cedeno and Yeseniia Ovcharova.

And that is exactly what they did. The duo punched back and grabbed a comeback win. They finished Day 2 with their final win of the tournament, getting an upset win over Notre Dame’s duo featuring freshman Skye Madatali and sophomore Jessica Kovalcik.

“Tess and Lyla also did really well, again, a first time pair,” Robinson said. “So, for two new teams, just getting through some rounds, I thought it was important for them as well.”

Having success with these new doubles teams could be vital for the program. With the performance each had this weekend, while still getting to know each other’s playing styles, they could make a huge impact once they become more comfortable with one another.

If there’s one thing about this team, it’s that they are always cheering each other on. As a whole, they had good energy with a lot of smiles and high fives throughout the weekend’s events. Even when a player is done with their match, you can find them in the stands, supporting their teammates. Robinson said she thinks former head coach Evan Clark and former associate head coach Alexis Raines did a great job with recruitment for the team.

“I think just recruiting really great quality people,” Robinson said. “A lot of times, that’s where you start too, is just people that are competitive, but really kind and caring already naturally.”

This energy also comes from the environment Robinson has created. She said she wants to create an environment for the team to not only support each other, but also push one another. She also mentioned she wants to keep that attitude moving forward, continuing to focus on the betterment of the program and allow Illinois to shine bright.

“We are also just trying to make a statement that we’re here, we’re ready to fight and to put Illinois on the stage in the Big Ten … we’re ready to get after it,” Robinson said.